Without a lot of knowledge, basically, you can't. If this is your first FAL DSA builds a rifle on a STG-58 kit that is an excellent buy. Dealer price is $795 and you can find them for not much more than that. Once you get familiar with the parts and what to look for you'll be able to tell the mix & match FALs. Some people have gotten great Century built FALs, but you take a big chance on getting a dog.

One of DSA's guns is bassically a surplus parts gun and the other (listing at about $1,500) is the only newly manufactured FAL sold in the US.

Both guns are excellent quality and have a great reputation. If the price is close always go with the dsa. They stand behind their work. You will also know that the gun has the proper compliance parts and is safe to shoot.

Of course if you know the seller and his work, a privately built gun can work just as well and be just as safe for a lot less money.

Don't worry if the gun has Century parts in it. They work fine. Century's bad rep came from completed guns that were not assembled with the care they should have been and didn't work right. Most of these are easy fixes and still a great deal considering their low price.

The only part from Century you don't want is the 2 piece gas piston (no longer used) because they bent and were useless.

Additionally, Hesse's receiver's bad rep came from guys who roll their own. Sometimes the receiver needed some fine tuning with a dremel. They weren't for the inexperienced. The self proclaimed FAL smiths really just assemle with care. They don't really want to do any gunsmithing (it takes time). They would rather use the more expensive DSA or imbel receiver and charge appropriately (I can't really blame them).

But if you find a gun with a Hesse receiver that works, they work as well or better than any other FAL. By the way Hesse FAL receivers are just as strong as any other steel FAL receiver. They have no strength issues like their AR15 receivers.

Gonna go with DSA cause it's only a few hundred difference and either way the money will be gone so I might as well have the best I can afford and I figure I'll have better warranty coverage with a factory assembled gun.You guys are a wealth of information.Could have picked one up at show but it wasn't a carbine and I think that's what I want.(Carbine with a muzzlebreak).Will I lose accuracy (wihin 200 yards) with a carbine?

Good choice on the DSA, you only buy quality once. I am always amazed at guys who will shave $100-$200 off the price of a rifle by buying a bottom feeder POS that they'll hate from the day they buy it. To me a rifle is something that might be called upon to save my life and something that I'm going to own for decades of shooting - the extra $200 works out to be a few cents a day figured that way.